Warfare Situations Simulated in Tough Athletic Competition

It’s called the International Military Sports Council (CISM) Naval Pentathlon, five events spread over three days. This year it was June 29, 30 and July 1 in Den Helder, the Netherlands.

“CISM is trying to create friendship through sports,” said Mark Curtis, who won the event. “Instead of meeting on the battlefield, we meet on the athletic field.”

The opening event is the obstacle course--300 meters including a hurdle, balance beam, barrel, table jumping, grenade throwing, net climbing, long jump, tunnel, parallel wire and sloping wire. Curtis’ time was 1 minute 56 seconds.

“There’s a reason to each move,” Curtis said. “Everything simulates something they’d use in warfare.”

The lifesaving race is event No. 2 on the first day. Athletes must dive off a 3-meter platform into a pool and swim three 25-meter laps in pants and a shirt, dragging a plastic dummy. The event includes a 20-meter segment under water. Curtis finished in 1:09.

“If you were to have to jump off a ship, (3 meters) would be about the distance,” he said. “We have to go under water to swim through oil, and in the lifesaving race, we have to swim under water.”

On Day 2, the seamanship race is performed on a dock and in the water, over 310 meters. It features work on a hanging platform, hauling a cable, throwing lines and zig-zag rowing around buoys and mooring. Curtis’ time was 4:19.

The utility swim in the second event of Day 2 is over 125 meters in a swimming pool. It features rifle-carrying, passing under a net obstacle, passing over a barrel obstacle, underwater work and a final 25-meter sprint. Curtis’ time was 1:07.

The amphibious cross country race is the last event and only one on Day 3. It is held near and on water and covers 2,500 meters. It includes shooting, paddling a rubber boat with a rifle and hand-grenade throwing into a circular ring. Curtis finished in 9:47 seconds. His total time was 17:38.

Next year, the competition will take place in Bahia Blanca, Argentina.